Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1887-12-21
Reduction of Taxation.

Reduction OF Taxation.
But the reduction of taxation de-
manded should be so measured as not
to necessitate or justify either the loss
or employment by the working maj
nor the lessening of his wages /; and
the profits still remaining to the man.
ufacturer, after a necessary readjust
ment, should furnish no excuse for the
sacrifice of the interests Of his en-
ployes either in their opportunity to
work or in the diminution of their
compensation. Nor can the worker
in manufactures fail to understand
that while high tariff is claimed to
be necessary to allow the payment OF
remunerative wages, it certainly re-
suits in very large increase in the
price of nearly all sorts of msnufac-
lures, which, in almost countless forms
he needs for the use f himself and
his family. He receives at the desk
of his employer his wages, and per
haps before reaching home is oblg.
ed to purchase for family use of an
article which embraces his own labor.
to return in the payment of the in.
crease in price which the tariff per.
mits, the hard earned compensation
of many days of toll.
The farmer and the agriculturalist,
who manufacture nothing, nut who
pay the increased price which the tar
if imposes, upon every agriculture
implement, upon all he wears and up
on all he uses and owns, except the
increase of his focks and herds and
such things as his husbandry produces
from the soil, is invited to aid in main
tanning the present situation, and he
is told that high duty on imported
wool is necessary for the benefit of
those who have sheep to shear, in or.
der that the price of their wool may
be increased. They of course are not
reminded that the farmer who has no
sheep is by this scheme obliged in hi,
purchase of clothing and wooden goods
to pay a tribute to his fellow farmer
as well as the manufactures and mer-
chant I; nor is any mention made of
the fact that the sheep.owners them
selves and their households, must
wear clothing and use other article
manufactured from the wool they sci
at tariff prices, and thus as consumer,
must return their share of this in.
creased price to the tradesman.
think it may be fairly assumed
that large proportion of the sheer
owned by the farmers throughout tn,
country are found in small flock,
numbering from twenty-five to fifty.
The duty on the grade Of the import.
ed wool which these sheep yield is 10
cents each pound if of the value OF
thirty cents or less, and twelve cents
if Of the value Of more than thirty
cents. If the liberal estimate of six
pounds be allowed for each fleece the
duty thereon would be sixty or seven
ty-two cents, and this may be taken
as the utmost enactment of its price
to the farmer by reason of this duty.
Eighteen dollars would thus represent
the increased price of the wool from
twenty-five sheep, and $50 that from
the wool of fifty sheep, and at present
values this addition would amount to
one-third of its price. If upon its
sale the farmer receives this or less
profit, the wool leaves his hands charg
ed with precisely that sum, which in
all its changes will adhere to it until
it reaches the consumer. When man
ufactured into cloth and other goods
and materials for use its cast is not
only increased to the extent of the
farmers tariff profit. but a further
sum has been added for the benefit of
the manufactures under the operation
Of other tariff laws. In the meantime
the day arrives when the farmer finds
it necessary to purchase wooden goods
and material to clothe himself and
family for the winter. When he faces
the tradesman for that purpose he dis
covers that he is obliged not only to
return in the way of increased prices
his tariff profit on the wool he sold,
and which then perhaps lies before
him in manufactured form, but that
he must add considerable sum there
TO to meet further increase in cost